In probably the most disgusting display of herd mentality that one can imagine, a Wal Mart worker was killed by a hoard of greedy shoppers on Black Friday.  Who is to blame for this?  The individuals, certainly, but it is also the mentality of this consumption-driven society and the media that encourages it. 

When are we going to step back from the line of crap that the military-industrial petrochemical pharmaceutical cartel has fed us for the last 100 years and get back to basics?  What will it take to stop the madness of the war economy and wanton consumerism?

Maybe, as Dr. Len Horowitz said on a recent episode of The Matrix News, the current economic free fall will help turn the society around.  But frankly, I don't know if that's the case.  I fear that it could take some catastrophic earth-changing event to really turn the tide, but it's imperative that we keep trying.  I do know that our viewers, and the people who come back to the Matrix News website every day are concerned, and it is with you that I rest my hopes. 

Every one of us has the freedom to choose this year how we are going to express our love and thanksgiving for each other, for what we have, and for the planet.  So,  while I don't want to go all "green" on you (because that's as commercialized as everything else these days), I would like to remind you that we all have a choice to continue feeding the coffers of the corporate giants or to look after each other and support the causes and people that are here every day making life better for those they can.  Whether it's at the holidays or on a daily basis, we can support the status quo, or we can support what matters most to us.

What causes do your family members care about?  Animals?  There are numerous animal welfare groups trying to save the household pets that have been left in the cold and dark in the tens of thousands of foreclosures displacing families.  While there are many to choose from including your local shelter, here's a link to the ASPCA - you can donate on behalf of a family member.  Caution:  the video will make you cry. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO

The other option, of course, is to open your home to an abandoned or mistreated animal.  Believe me, our little rescue cat, Curtis, gives us more joy every minute than all the gadgets at Best Buy.  What a gift to your family.

What about homeless and hungry kids, families, seniors?  Your local shelter, the Salvation Army and many other organizations really need your help.  Food banks are running out of food every day, because there are so many more people in need now, and those who are able to feed themselves just don't have any extra.  Instead of buying another video game, how about donating Christmas to a family?  Send a card to your Dad, who doesn't need another tie, and let him know that instead of contributing to the junk in his closet, you've fed a whole family for a week.

How about organizations that work to provide access to alternative health, political, and education information?   There are many people like ourselves at the Matrix News Network that work year round to get information out to the public every day.  We could all use a helping hand, too.  Corporate America does everything it can to put a stop to dissemination of this kind of information, so it's up to the people who benefit from it to support it.  Buy something off our website, subscribe to a newsletter or video service or donate in a loved one's name and let them know that your gift to them this year is Knowledge.   If you choose to help us keep The Matrix News on the air and online, you can do it by shopping on our site (our book, The Healing Sound of Music, is a very nice gift), or by subscribing yourself or someone you love to our video service.  www.matrixnewsnetwork.com

We all have a choice this Holiday season.  Whether it's to help save the horses from being slaughtered or buying a warm coat for a child, we don't have to spend recklessly to give Joy.